Microsoft silently kills Windows and Office phone activation and forces online activation with a Microsoft account — Windows users are now herded into an online-only portal for activation

Source: Tom’s Hardware

Details

Microsoft has somehow put the cap on yet another way to circumvent its internet‑powered setup process, and this time it’s on a build that they haven’t even supported for a while! Production activation via call is still listed in Microsoft’s support docs, but a new YouTube video running Windows 7 shows that the phone‑activation method has been disabled. Users are now forced to use online activation with a Microsoft account, effectively herding them into an online‑only portal for activation.